Foot size ascertaining apparatus



March 16, 1965 M. M. RocKMoRE 3,173,746

FOOT SIZE ASCERTAINING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1964 INVENTOR:

/f/ra/V n! min/aff United States Patent O 3,173,746 FGT SZE ASCERTAINING APPARATUS Milton M. Rockmore, 102 Brookby Road, Scarsdale, NX. Filed Jan. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 339,192 1 Claim. (Cl. 346-407) This invention relates to a method and apparatus by means of which foot sizes can .be read-ily ascertained and recorded.

While the procedure and apparatus are primarily useful in connection with the iitting of shoes, especially childrens shoes, certain phases of the invention are not necessarily restricted to 4this purpose, and may be applicable to, or useful in, other fields, e.g., for diagnostic, therapeutic, statistical, or other purposes.

It is an object of the invention -to provide a practical and relatively inexpensive means for quickly creating a graphic permanent record of the contour and dimensional charaoteristics of a persons foot. Such a record is highly useful at the time of purchase of a pair of shoes, since it avoids human error in gauging shoe sizes, but its utility is by no means limited to this advantage, nor in fact to such a time or environment.

A more .particular objective ofthe invention is to provide a safe and eiiicient apparatus in the form of a recording instrument adapted in simple and rapid fashion to create `an inexpensive photographic record of information relating to a foot whose contours and dimensions are to be made note of. The record is preferably made upon paper or similar sheet material adapted to receive v additional written or typed notations, if desired, and the record is of a size and kind which can be readily handled, mailed or preserved.

In the iield of shoe tting and selling, it is a more particular object of the invention to provide a record which may be readily preserved by the seller of the shoes, or by the purchaser, or mailed by the seller -to the purchaser, for re-checking the suitability of a particular pair of shoes after the expiration of a time period during which the wearers feet may have grown larger.

The achievement of these objects is predicated upon a novel combination of elements whereby a full-size outline of a foot can be effectively produced, quickly, in a unique juxtaposition to dimensional indicia, by a single activation of an energy source associated with a sup-ply of special sheet material sensitive to such energy. Preferably the energy employed is light, and the sheet material is photographically sensitive.

One of the features of the invention resides in the employment of a thin light-transmitting panel having an outer face against which a foot ymay ybe placed, and an inner face 'bearing relatively opaque dimensional markings. Means are provided `for holding a light-sensitive sheet against the inner face, and for directing light inwardly through the panel. In this way the foot intercepts some of the light and allows a lphotographic impression to be made only of the indicia remaining uncovered. The inner margin of the impression is thus an outline representation of the foot which appears in direct informative relation to the adjacent size indicia.

One way of achieving the objectives of lthe invention in a commercially feasible and practical manner is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- FIGURE 1 is an elevational cross section of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, showing a yfoot in position for making a photographic impression;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a face view of a fragmentary part of the Patented Mar. 1d, 1965 ice light-sensitive web after an impression has been made on it.

A thin light-transmitting panel 1l) is provided, having an upper face against which a foot 11 is adapted to be placed, and bearing on its under side a series of relatively opaque size markings. These markings are not readily observable in FIGURES 1 and 2, but the nature of the markings is indicated by the reference number 12 in FIGURE 3. The panel 10 may be composed of any suitable rigid material, and it is adequately supported so that it will not yield or break under pressure.

A convenient way of mounting the panel 10 is to build it into association with a substantially rectangular chamber or compartment 13, with the panel 10 deiining the top wall of the compartment. The other walls of the compartment may be composed of any suitable material, such as wood or metal, and they are joined and assembled in such a way that the compartment is light-tight except for the top panel 10.

Within the compartment lthere is a spindle 14 upon which a supply lroll 15 of low sensitivity light-sensitive paper .is mounted. This paper is in the form of a continuous strip, and in order to condition the apparatus for use the end region of the strip is guided beneath the panel 10 and out of the compartment through a slit 16. Adjacent to the slit i-t is preferable to provide a tearing edge 17 so that Whenever a predetermined length of the strip has been pulled out through the slit 16, it may be readily torn off at the cutting edge 17.

In order to hold the strip of sensitized material firmly against the under side of the panel 10, a backing element 18 is provided, preferably supported on compression `springs 19 or ythe like.

Hinged to the compartment 13 along the edge 20 opposite :to the slit 16 is a housing or cover 21 within which a light Source is mounted. A small electric lamp 22, energized by a suitable source of current through a switch, has been depicted .by Way of example, The housing is provided with an aperture or opening 23 to afford space for the foot 11. The housing may also be provided, if desired, with an interior reflecting surface 24 adapted to direct the light from the lamp 22 downwardly toward the panel 10.

The sensitized strip of material on the supply roll 15 may be composed of paper or equivalent backing with a light-sensitive coating on the surface that is exposed upwardly to the light; or the light-lsensitive material may be of any other known kind, adapted to change color, or otherwise change its appearance, upon subjection to light or equivalent energy. Preferably the sensitive sheet is of the currently-available kind which requires no additional treatment to develop a latent image or to make the photographic impression more stable.

When the device is standing idle, the cover or hood is preferably in the position shown in FIGURE l, with the light 22 extinguished, and with the opening 23 preferably covered to exclude light. When the apparatus is to be used, the housing 21 is rst swung upwardly to allow the foot 11 to be properly placed on the top surface of the panel 10, and the housing 21 is then restored to the position shown in the drawings. The foot is positioned with its heel portion in a predetermined relationship to the markings on the under surface of the panel 1li, these markings being readily visible from the top since the panel liti* is of a light-transmitting character. On the assumption that a length of light-sensitive material is in position directly beneath the foot, and adjacent to it, being rrnly held against the panel 1G by the backing 1S, the light source 22 is activated for a predetermined short duration, then extinguished again. The end of the strip is then pulled out through the slit 16, so that the entire region that was exposed to the light or equivalent energy can be torn ofi. If the material is the kind that requires no special treatment to develop the image, it is immediately ready to receive appropriate markings as to the date, the name of the shoe purchaser, etc. It the sensitive material is oa kind that requires developing, these markings can be placed on the sheet at a later' time, or applied to a card or other element clipped to ior otherwise Aassociated with the strip. Ultimately the element bears impressions of the character lshown in FIGURE 3. In the region that was directly beneath the foot lll no phetographicimpression has been made, but in the surrounding region the dimensional markings or similar notations on the yunder surface of the ,panel lil have caused corresponding impressions 12 to be made. The inner boundary of these impressions has a shape similar to that shown by the dotand-dash line 25, and this constitutes an informative superposition of the outline of the foot 1l upon the size markings 12, These sizemarkings may be of any desired kind, including, for example, heel-to-ball indicia.

The value of this type .of convenient visible record for any of a number of different purposes will be readily appreciated. It is particularly useful as a time-saving and error-eliminating device in the proper iitting of shoes. It is effective as a promotional item, too. For example, it may hear the name ror trademark of the seller of the shoes, or it may bear other advertising lor embellishment as may be desired. lf the record is delivered lto the purchaser of the shoes it may be re-used at time intervals to re-check the fit and suitability of the shoes. It the record, or perhaps a duplicate one, is retained by the shoe store, it may be mailed to the purchaser after a selected time interval as a yreminder that the wearer may perhaps have outgrown the shoes. Other 4ways in which the invention may be user., for shoe-tit-checking or advertising purposes will readily suggest them-selves.

In the speen-ic ield of shoe selling, the invention affords several other advantages, not heretofore attainable:

(l) It makes it possible to provide an immediate and separate permanent record for each foot. These records can be visually compared at the time of purchasing shoes, to allow for the common situation in which one foot is larger than the other. Also., the ability visually to inspect and compare `the foot contours serves as a sound basis for selecting the particular style or last which is best suited for each particular pair of feet.

(2) Persons thoroughly trained in the fitting of shoes are not always available, and the invention helps to avoid mistakes by less experienced personnel.

(3) A single experienced manager of a shoe store or department, with several less .experienced assistants, can function more eilciently with ,the help of this invention. For example, he might remain posted at a central location, ready to receive and interpret records submitted to him by the selling personnel, thus saving the time that would be required personally to check each customer o1 transaction. Also, the `records are of a kind which permit him to write his instructions or comments directly upon each print. In this respect, therefore, the invention is a distinct labor-saving and timelsaving device.

(4) The invention affords an eflicient and unusually fast means for obtaining a visible record, almost at once, of each of a pair of feet. Moreover, it is a permanent record, and it can provide information regarding any desired dimension, eg., length, width, vheel-to-ball measurements (particularly important in fitting childrens shoes), etc.

The invention has been illustrated and described in a preferred form only, and merely by way of example, but it will be apparent that many variations may be made without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A foot size ascertaining and recording apparatus comprising a light-transmitting panel upon which a foot may be placed, said panel carrying relatively opaque dimensional indicia, a roll of low sensitivity light-sensitive paper near one end or said panel, a web `of paper extending from said roll and beneath said panel with its light-sensitive surface `facing said panel, means at the opposite end of said panel for severing desired lengths of paper from said web, means for holding said web liatagainst the lowertace ot said panel, a housing over said panel in hinged relation thereto, and a source of light within said housing, means for activating said light source, the wall of said housing having a cut-out region through which the leg of a person whose foot is on said panel may pass, whereby when a foot is to be measured said housing may be swung away from said panel, the foot placed upon said panel, said housing swung back over said panel, said light source activated to yrecord the indicia not covered by the foot on the length of paper present under said panel, and said length of paper pulled from beneath said panel and severed from the remainder of said web to form a permanent visual record of the size and contour of the `foot.

Reterences Cited by the Examiner UNiTED STATES PATENTS 605,959 6/98 Henderson. 1,649,042 ll/27 Ritter 346-107 2,096,551 lil/37 uolnson 33-32 2,178,933 ll/39 Davis 95-73 X 2,382,131 8/45 Cameron SiS-7Ar 2,549,159 4/51 Willis 346-l07 X 2,650,518 9/53 Zaror'i et al. 33-3.2 X 3,982,669 3/63 Jones 95--73 X LEU SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

